#1 – Ghoulies (1984)
Aside from the fourth film, the original Ghoulies uses its titular critters the least of any film in the series. Regardless, it’s my favorite of the bunch. Far more focused on black magic, occult rituals, sexual hijinks, and an undead warlock, Ghoulies is a fun slice of imaginative ‘80s horror. The loveable little mischievous puppets are a side dish here, but an entertaining one.
Unjustly labeled a Gremlins rip-off by most due to its iconic cover of a ghoulie emerging from a toilet, this initial outing has far more in common with other sorcery-centric Charles Band features than it does Joe Dante’s classic. Hell, it even climaxes in a warlock battle! Lead Peter Liapis, as protagonist Jonathan Graves, overacts the hell out of his role, but in the best way. Not to be outdone, Michael De Barres cranks his performance up to 11 as the villainous warlock, Malcolm Graves. Paired together, it’s a delicious combination of cheese that devours every scene that one or both actors are in. We’re also treated to appearances by Jack Nance (Eraserhead) and a very young Mariska Hargitay (Law & Order: SVU).
Ghoulies might be silly, cheap, and a little derivative, but that doesn’t stop it from being an incredibly enjoyable film. I simply cannot help but love a film that has a woman coming home to find her boyfriend in the basement conjuring rain and then said boyfriend acting like an angry, embarrassed child when he’s caught. While the series as a whole is very uneven (and that’s being generous), the first two are worth your time. Seek them out if you haven’t already (Scream Factory’s double-feature Blu-ray is pretty great). And if you have experienced them, feel free to chat up your favorite entries in the comments below!
